All-league selections are slowly trickling their way to our inboxes. It also means an uptick in those conversations we have with coaches where they talk about how political the all-league selection process has become.

It’s something everyone talks about, but also something no one wants anyone to know they’re talking about, out of fear of ruffling feathers and having other coaches take it out on their players during the selection process.

Hank Baker knew he wanted to be kicking a ball in the Ivy League when it came time for him to head to college. Only, he thought it’d be a soccer ball.

As it turns out, Baker, a senior at Mullen, will be booting a football for the foreseeable future. The kicker, who only started playing football last season, committed to play the sport at Brown University this summer.

Burt.com Stadium is no more — at least in name. The Douglas County School District has signed a new three-year naming rights contract with Sports Authority.

“They’re a Douglas County company, and they’ve been a strong supporter of the school district,” said Sean McGraw, the Douglas County Educational Foundation’s executive director. “When this opportunity presented itself, it was just a natural fit.”

Alyssa Thornton’s been inspired by her grandmother. Now, she hopes to return the favor.

Thornton, a senior on Grandview’s field hockey team, has spent months planning Kilts for a Cure, an event set around the Wolves’ game next Tuesday during which she hopes to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer.

Her grandmother is a survivor of 21 years.

“I know she knows that we’re all so proud of her for what she’s done and just beating it, but I think that this way, it’s really just something she’ll never forget,” Thornton said. “That’s what I’m hoping for, is that she’s just overwhelmed with pride in knowing that she’s not alone.”

Neil Devlin, originally from the Philadelphia area, has covered high school sports in Colorado for more than 30 years, writing about the people, athletes and events that encompass the Rocky Mountain prep sports world.